The event aims to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the rituals and games of tug-of-war being recognized by UNESCO and added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The event aims to highlight the enduring value of the ritual and game of tug-of-war, an agricultural cultural symbol associated with hopes for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and community solidarity. The heritage was inscribed in 2015 at the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Namibia as a multinational nomination involving Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, and the Philippines. Vietnam’s representatives come from communities in Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Phu Tho, and Lao Cai.
After a decade of recognition, the number of communities practicing tug-of-war in Vietnam has steadily increased, from six original communities to ten today. The spread and exchange between localities have enriched the practice of the game, reflecting the diversity and creativity of Vietnam’s folk culture.
The commemorative program features two main activities, including an international seminar titled “A Decade of Safeguarding and Promoting the Tug-of-War Ritual and Game,” to be held on the afternoon of November 15 in Long Bien Ward, and a cultural exchange and performance of the tug-of-war rituals and games on November 16 at Tran Vu Temple, Long Bien Ward.
The seminar is expected to bring together more than 250 Vietnamese and foreign delegates, including representatives from UNESCO and embassies of the co-inscribing countries, as well as experts and heritage-bearing communities. The performance program will feature the Gijisi tug‐of‐war preservation association in the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Dangjin City and eight representative tug-of-war communities from Vietnam, along with traditional drum and lion dance performances by artists from Sehan University of South Korea.
A highlight of the event will be the launch of the Vietnam Tug-of-War Heritage Communities Network, marking a new milestone in strengthening connections, transmission, and vitality of this intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
